Community Invited to Share Ideas About Capital Funding Bill

The Washoe County School District (WCSD) Board of Trustees invites members of the community to discuss Assembly Bill 46, the District's capital funding bill, at a public meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26. A bipartisan delegation of state legislators has introduced an amendment that would provide the Trustees with the authority to enact the tax increase provisions in the bill.

This amendment would enable the Board to enact a one-time tax. If the Board approves the enabling amendment at its meeting, it would still need to pass through both houses of the legislature and the governor. If it did so, at that time the Board would conduct forums to gather public input on whether to raise taxes. As part of its ongoing commitment to listen to the community, the Board will ask for public comment on this topic at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26. The discussion will begin at or after 3 p.m.

"Our northern legislators have introduced an amendment to the district's capital bill AB 46 to give the Board of Trustees enabling authority to raise the sales tax and property tax for school maintenance," said Barbara Clark, president of the WCSD Board of Trustees. "The board will deliberate on this amendment on Tuesday and we look forward to hearing from our public on this issue."

AB 46 would provide for a ¼ percent increase in sales tax and a $0.05 increase in property taxes per $100 of assessed value in Washoe County. These funds would be used to pay for repairs and maintenance of more than 100 buildings in the District, including 93 schools. The cost for the average family is estimated at $8 per month, and the measure would generate approximately $20 million in revenue annually for capital projects.

"These public meetings offer a great opportunity to share information and encourage important conversations with members of our community," said Superintendent Pedro Martinez. "This is a critically important issue for our students and our schools, and it's equally important that the public has a voice in this process."

AB 46 has received widespread support from business and community groups, parents, teachers, and trade unions. Many of these organizations have sent representatives to Carson City to testify in support of the bill. For a complete list of endorsements and more information about capital funding projects and AB 46, visit: http://washoecountyschools.org/community/legislative-session/capital_funding